Insect-catcher.



' v PATENTED APR. 25, 1905. P. W. SOOFIELD. INSECT GATOHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1904.

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UNITED STATES V Patented April 25, 1905.

FLOYD W. SOOFIELD, OF PLYMOUTH, INDIANA.

lNSECT-CATCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,333, dated April25, 1905.

Application filed September 2'7, 1904. Serial No. 226,182.

To all whom it flea/7, concern:

Be it known that I, FLOYD IV. SCOFIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plymouth, in the county of Marshall, State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Insect-Catchers; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to farm implements, and more particularly toinsect-catchers, and has for its object to provide an implement by meansof which insects may be removed from plants in a quick and eflicientmanner.

A further object is to provide a machine especially adapted for removinginsects from potato-vines and other low plants usually grown in rows,the arrangement of the machine being such that the plants will not beinjured thereby.

Another object is to provide an implement which maybe readily adjustedto suit different conditions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, and it will be understood that modifications of thespecific construction shown may be made, and any suitable materials maybe used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the implement. Fig. 2 is a centraltransverse section. .Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a detail viewshowing the means for varying the distance between the lower edges ofthe elevators. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 6 is a view showingamodification.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises a body 5,including upper and lower rectangular frames 6 and 7, connected at theircorners by uprights 8. Each of the frames comprises side pieces 9 and 10and end pieces 11 and 12. Extending transversely of the frame 6,rearwardly of the center thereof, is a beam 13, upon which there ismounted in bearings 14 a shaft 15, extending outwardly beyond the sidesof the frame, and at the ends of this shaft are cranks 16, extending atright angles thereto. Extending parallel to the beam 13, forwardlythereof, is a similar beam 17 and connecting the two beams there is anotched segment 18, disposed for engagement by a dog 19, carried by ahandlever 20, which is connected with the shaft for movement of thelatter in its bearings. Adjacent to the hand-lever there is attached tothe beam 13 the supporting-spring 21 of a seat 22.

Extending laterally from the frame 7 at points below theoutwardly-projecting end 7 portions of the shaft 13 are short rods 23,having suitable braces 24. Pivotally engaged with the rods 23 are shortarms 25, the pivotal connection being at one end of these arms, and attheir remaining ends the arms are provided with outwardly-extendingspindles 26, upon which are mounted ground-wheels 27 The ground-wheelscarry sprockets 28, which are connected, by means of chains 29, withother sprockets 30, revolubly mounted upon the rods 23, and connectedwith each of these sprockets'is one of a pair of sprockets 31 and 32,provided for a purpose to be presently described. Links 33 connect thefree ends of the arms with the free ends of the cranks 16, and it willthus be apparent that the shaft 13 may be moved to cause verticalmovement of the entire body 5.

Revolubly mounted upon the beam 17 are two shafts 34 and 35, havingsprockets 36 and .37, which are connected, by means of chains 38, withthe sprockets 31 and 32, respectively, so that these shafts 34 andreceive motion from the ground-wheels of the implement.

Depending from the beam 17, centrally thereof, is a bracket 39, havingbearings 40 and 41 therein, in which are journaled the front and rearends, respectively, of shafts 42 and 43, the forward end of the latterbeing journaled in a bearing 44 in the front piece 11 of the lower frame7, while the rearward end of the shaft 42 is journaled in a bearing 45in the rear end piece 12 of the same frame.

The shafts 42 and 43 carry sprockets 42' and 43', respectively, theformer being connected, by means of chain 46, with the sprocket 47 of ashaft 48, journaled in bearings 49 and 50, carried by the beam 17 andthe rear end piece 12 of the upper frame 6, and this shaft 48 isconnected, by means of bevel-pinions 51 and 51, with the shaft 35. Ashaft 52 is journaled at its ends in bearings 53 and 54 in the beam 17and the forward end piece 11 of the frame 6, respectively, this shaftcarrying a sprocket 55, which is connected, by means of a chain 56, withthe sprocket 43, and the shaft 52 has bevel-gear connections with theshaft 34.

The shafts 42 and 43 occupy a common plane, but are spaced laterallyfrom each other, and each of these shafts consists of two portions 57and 58, which are bolted together and between which are secured wisps ofbroomcorn or other suitable substances 59, which extend laterally beyondthe sides of the shaft, as shown.

Pivoted to the corners of the upper fram 6 are downwardly and inwardlyconverging rods 60, which coincide in pairs at either side of the body,the lower ends of these rods lying below the plane occupied by theshafts 42 and 43. As shown, the rods 60 at one end of the machine restagainst the end piece 12 of the frame 7, while those at the opposite endrest against the end piece 11 thereof, and these end pieces are providedwith series of spaced perforations 61. The rods 60 are provided withseries of spaced perforations 60,arranged for successive registrationwith perforations of the series 61 as the rods are moved upon theirpivots, and pins 63 are provided for engagement in the perforations thusalined to hold the rods against movement. Means is thus provided forvarying the distance between the lower ends of the rods.

the corners of the frame 6 is accomplished through the medium ofrevolving shafts 62 and 64, mounted in bearings 65 upon the corners ofthe frame and with which shafts the upper ends of the rods GOJL epivotally connected.

The shaft 62 carries a sprocket 66, which is connected, by means ofchain 67, with a sprocket 68, carried by the shaft 52, the shaft 64carrying the sprocket 69, connected, by means of a chain 7 O, with asprocket 71, carried by the shaft 48, and in this manner the shafts 62and 64 are rotated.

The rods 60 are provided with bearings 60 in their lower ends, and inthe bearings of the rods at either side of the machine there isjournaled a shaft, these shafts being indicated at 72 and 73,respectively.

Engaged-with the shafts 72 and 64 is an endless carrier 74, a similarcarrier being engaged with the shafts 62 and 73. Disposed to receivematter from the carrier 74 and 75 are boxes 76, having hinged bottoms77, as

illustrated, the bottoms having hooks 78, arranged to hold them inposition.

In use the machine is driven along a row of potato-vines or otherplants, it being understood that the machine is'provided with means forattaching horses thereto. It will be readily understood that the shafts42 and 43 lie one at either side of the row of plants, the height of theimplement being adjusted, as described above, to bring the shafts 42 and43 into position to engage the plants with their wisps 59. Themutually-adjacent faces of the shafts 42 and 43 move upwardly, so thatthe ends of the wisps 59 first engage the plants and are then moved inthe direction of the carriers 74 and 75, the result being thatpotato-bugs and other insects are removed from the plants by these wispsand are thrown upon the carrier by which they are conveyed to the boxes76, in which are disposed layers of absorbing material 78, saturatedwith a suitable insecticide. If desired, however, the absorbent layersmay be omitted and a powder or other form of insecticide may be used.The hinging of the bottoms 7 7 makes possible the easy and quick removalof the dead insects.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings there is shown a modification in which stripsof canvas or pieces of sheet metal A are disposed in the positionsoccupied by the carriers in the previously described forms. Theoperatingshafts upon which the carriers are mounted are in this formprovided with sprockets B, with which are engaged chains (1', havingcons necting-cleats D, which bear against the canvases or plates A. Asthe shafts are revolved the cleats move upwardly over the inner faces ofthe canvases or plates and downwardly from the rearward faces thereof,collecting; the insects in, their movement and depositing the latter inthe hoppers, as. described. above. The pivotal connection of the rods 60with WVhat is claimed i-s- 1. An impfement of the-cl assdescribed conrrprising a wheeled. body, means for varying;

the height of thebody with respect to the 1 wheels, beaters carried bythe bodiy and arranged to he one at either side of a row of plants,connections between the beaters and! the wheels for operation thereby,carriers ar'-- ranged to receive matter from the beaters, andreceptacles disposed toreceive matter discharged from the carriers.

2. An implement of the class d'escribed,comprising a body,beate-rsmounted in the bod y' and arranged to lie one at either side ofa row of plants, carriers mounted, in the body and arranged toreceivematter from the beaters, means for varying the position of thecarriers. with respect to, the beaters, and means for op-- erating thebeaters and, the carriers.

3. An implementof theclassdescribed,com: prising a body, beaters.mounted in; thebody' and arranged to,l,ije.one at either-side of a row.of plants, one of said beaters being disposedl rearwardlyof the. other,adjustable carriers arranged to receive matter from the heaters, andreceptacles arranged to receive matter from the carriers.

4. In a farm implement, the combination with a body containing operativemechanism, of stub-shafts carried by the body at either side thereof,arms pivotally engaged with the stub-shafts at one end, and havingspindles projecting outwardly at right angles thereto at their remainingends, ground-wheels rotatahly mounted upon the spindles, wheels mountedupon the stub-shafts, connections between said wheels and theground-wheels, a shaft rotatably mounted upon the body and having cranksat its ends, connections between the cranks and the arms for movement ofthe latter, a hand-lever connected with the lastnamed shaft for movementthereof, means for holding said shaft at different points of itsmovement, and connections between the wheels mounted upon the stub-shaftand the operative mechanism for operation of the latter through movementof the former.

5. An implementof the class described comprising a wheeled body, heatersmounted in the body and arranged to lie one at either side ot a row ofplants, said heaters comprising two separable sections, and wisps offlexible material secured between said sections, said flexible materialextending beyond the sides of the sections, carriers arranged to receivematter from the heaters, and means for operating the heaters and thecarriers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FLOYD W. SCOFIELD.

WVitnesses:

Mosns M. LAUER, GEORGE 'F. HITCHOOCK.

